ARVADA — On the practice field at the northwest edge of the metro area, the Rockies were the backdrop as the Ralston Valley Mustangs worked on their no-huddle offense. The Mustangs read the hand signals from coach Matt Loyd and then ran the play, with junior quarterback Jacob Knipp
taking the snap in the shotgun.

A year ago, with Loyd's son, Colton, at quarterback, the Mustangs advanced to the Class 5A state playoff quarterfinals before falling 17-14 to Grandview. The issue then was who would succeed Colton Loyd, and whether there would be a dropoff.

As the Mustangs ( 9-1) head for a Friday second-round game against Fort Collins (7-3) at the North Area Athletic Complex, it's apparent that the young successor at quarterback has been more than up to the responsibilities — mental and physical — of the position.

Knipp, lanky at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, came into this season better known as a baseball third baseman and pitcher. But his efficiency has been stunning. Knipp has completed 71 percent of his passes for an average of 231 yards a game. He has thrown for 26 touchdowns with only six interceptions.

"Last year, I thought I could have helped the team a little more than I did," Knipp said. "The opportunity came this year and I took advantage of it."

Knipp threw only seven passes as a sophomore.

"We knew him as a freshman," Loyd said. "That team went 9-1 and we knew he was going to be a good player. Last year, he played quality snaps, not just mop-up. We knew we had a kid who was really smart. Last year, he played quarterback and middle linebacker, so we weren't worried about his toughness."

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Any doubts were dispelled when the Mustangs played a "Zero Week" opener Aug. 24 in Florida against Timber Creek of Orlando. The Mustangs won 30-23, and Knipp was 21-for-27 for 287 yards and three touchdowns.

It has helped that he's operating behind a strong offensive line, featuring tackle Dan Skipper (6-10, 295), who has said he intends to sign a letter of intent with Tennessee. With Ralston Valley often using four wideouts, six Mustangs have 19 or more receptions.

In the era of open enrollment, this is worth noting: Knipp was born in Golden, but has lived in the school neighborhood since he was 3. His parents, David and Lisa, both went to Wheat Ridge High.

Last summer, Knipp balanced getting ready for the football season with playing on two baseball teams, one in the American Legion program and another a traveling squad.

"I had two or three baseball games a day sometimes, after football practice in the morning," Knipp said. "Baseball always has been a love of mine. It was a grind, for sure. I had to put my best effort into football and then in the afternoon, put whatever energy I had left into baseball."

As a sophomore in baseball, Knipp was a backup infielder and made six pitching appearances for the Mustangs, who advanced to the 5A state championship series before losing their first two games. He most likely also will step into the starting lineup next spring in baseball, hoping that will go as well as football has gone for him — so far. The Mustangs' only loss came against top-ranked ThunderRidge, 29-25 on Sept. 8.

"He's a little over 6-3, and I don't think he's done growing," Loyd said. "He works really hard in the weight room. And he's a smart kid, getting it done at a very strong academic school. You can do some things in the passing game with checks and reads with him, where you normally might be pretty basic."

In the classroom, Knipp is most interested in math and history. He also plays the piano, doing it more intuitively than classically and taking informal tips from his sister.

"I'll go downstairs every now and then and make up a song," he said. "Or I'll find a song on iTunes and do my best to play it."

Now that it's apparent he is developing into a football prospect, he might soon have some choices to make about emphasis.

"This spring will decide where baseball's going," Knipp said. "I'm going to give it my best effort this spring to see what I can do in baseball, but right now I'm focusing on football and we'll see where that goes."

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